1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a forward-reverse changeover apparatus for working vehicles which comprises an input shaft, an output shaft arranged coaxially with and separated from the input shaft, first and second multiplate clutches rotatable about axes parallel to the input shaft, gears having the same number of teeth and coaxially rotatable with the first and second clutches respectively for giving an input to the clutches individually, the gears meshing with an output gear on the input shaft at different positions along the circumference of the output gear, an input gear mounted on the output shaft and meshing with an output gear rotatable coaxially with an output member extending from the first clutch, an output gear rotatable coaxially with an output member extending from the second clutch and meshing with a reverse rotation gear, the input gear on the output shaft being in mesh with the reverse rotation gear.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such forward-reverse changeover apparatus heretofore known are adapted to effect forward-reverse changeover easily and rapidly by advantageously using the first and second multiplate clutches. The first and second clutches are arranged at different positions along the circumference of the output gear on the input shaft to reduce the axial length of the input shaft as well as of the output shaft. The conventional apparatus, however, involve the inconvenience of giving a forward speed and a reverse speed which are different.
With the conventional arrangement, the output gear extending from the second clutch for reverse transmission and the input gear on the output shaft are located at the same position with respect to the axis of the output shaft, so that in order to avoid simultaneous meshing of the output gear of the second clutch and the above-mentioned reverse rotation gear with the input gear on the output shaft, the output gear used for the second clutch is smaller in diameter and tooth number than the output gear extending from the first clutch for forward transmission. For this reason, the above inconvenience has been experienced.